Pasta Alla Vodka

Cream, pasta, cheese and vodka…yeah, I’m in.

So easy, so delicious, soooo one of my new favorite recipes. I love to order this when we go out as a “treat,” so making this at home is awesome.

Makes 4 – 6 servings
Ingredients

1 pound pasta
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped 
3 cloves garlic, chopped 
3/4 cup Vodka 
15 oz can diced tomato
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated parmesan or asiago cheese
Handful fresh basil, chopped

Preparation Instructions

Cook the pasta according to package directions, being careful not to overcook.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted, add in chopped onion. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for about 1 – 2 minutes.

Add your vodka. Stir and cook for 3 – 5 minutes. Add in tomatoes and half of your basil and stir.

Reduce heat to low and stir in cream. Allow to simmer, being careful not to overheat. Stir in red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water in case sauce is too thick. Add cooked pasta to the sauce, tossing to combine. Splash in a little water if it needs it. Stir in the cheese.

Garnish with basil and more cheese.

So easy, right?

Smoked Gouda and Panko Mac & Cheese

If you’re on a diet, turn back now. There is a lot of milk, heavy cream and cheese in this recipe. That’s what makes it delicious, yes, but not great if you’re dieting :)

You’ve been warned.

Makes 8 – 10 servings
Ingredients
Adapted from Southern Living

1 cup Japanese breadcrumbs (panko)
4 slices of thick, smoky bacon
1 (16-oz.) package of short cut pasta
3 Tablespoons of butter
1 garlic clove, minced 
1/4 yellow onion, diced 
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
8-oz. block sharp white Cheddar cheese, shredded
8-oz. block sharp yellow Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded smoked Gouda

Preparation Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Bake breadcrumbs in a single layer on a baking sheet 3-5 minutes or until golden.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels; crumble.

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat; add garlic and onion, and sauté until tender.

Gradually whisk in flour until smooth; cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and next 4 ingredients; cook, whisking constantly, 12 to 14 minutes or until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Place Cheddar and Gouda cheese in a large heatproof bowl.

Gradually pour white sauce over cheeses, whisking until cheeses are melted and sauce is smooth.

Stir in pasta and bacon until blended. Pour into a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy!

Comfort Food: Chicken Pot Pie

When I think of comfort food, I think of chicken pot pie. It’s hearty, it’s warm and it has it all in one happy little pocket of deliciousness. I also love using individual casserole dishes, they’re just too cute.

It’s slowly getting cooler here so it seemed like the right time to break out some comfort food/cooler weather recipes!

This recipe is slightly adapted from Pioneer Woman’s chicken pot pie. I added a little extra yummy to mine.

When it’s cold outside and you have a little time to make this, it’s super delicious and very satisfying.

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients

2 celery stalks
2 medium carrots, peeled
1/2 medium yellow onion
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup mushrooms, halved or quartered
1/4 cup frozen sweet corn
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup heavy cream
1 – 2 teaspoons fresh thyme (2 or 3 sprigs)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
Cracked black pepper, to taste
1, 9” pie crust (mine was not homemade, I got the prepackaged rolled kind from the store, just as good in my mind!)

Preparation Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Begin by finely dicing the vegetables. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the veggies and sauté until the vegetables start to turn translucent. About 10 minutes.

Add the chicken and stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the veggies and chicken, and stir to combine. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring gently.

Pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Stir in the crushed bouillon cube.

The flour will combine with the chicken to create a gravy.

Pour in the cream and gently stir.

Allow the mixture to cook, over low heat, thickening gradually, about 5 minutes.

Season with thyme, salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Pour the chicken mixture into a deep pie pan or small individual casserole dishes.

Roll out the crust and place it on top of the chicken mixture, making sure to cut small slits in the top to release the heat.

Press the crust gently into the sides of the dish seal.

You may brush an egg wash over the crust for a deep golden brown if you desire.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy and happy cooking!

Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with Marshmallow Filling

…uh, yum.
  I’m in love with this book. If you don’t already have it, put it on your Christmas List, it’s a goodie. This is where I got the recipe from. They have so many great flavors and varieties, I’m going to be baking for the next two weeks straight, just to get through them all!

These came out so well. They’re the perfect Thanksgiving treat. I’m not a huge fan of gingerbread cookies (I’m a weirdo, I know…), but these are super delicious! They hit the same notes as a gingerbread cookie, just not the crunchy part which I think is what I don’t like about the cookies.

Whoopie pies are so easy to make! Make these! Immediately!!! That was my PSA for the day.

Not a lot of ingredients, just the way I like it.

Sift your dry ingredients and set aside.

Cream together the butter, shortening and brown sugar.

  When it’s light and fluffy, you’re ready for the egg.

Add the egg, then the molasses.

Slowly add half of your dry ingredients and buttermilk.

Mix until just combined.

Add the rest of the dry mix and buttermilk.

At this point, I personally chose to turn the mixer to level 4 and not 1, causing a tornado of flour in my kitchen. That was a messy mistake that resulted in inappropriate words and a lot of mid-project cleaning up.

I’m not going to say you CAN’T do that too, I’m just recommending you don’t. Learn from my mistakes……

Give it one last mix and you’re ready to drop and bake!

Drop the batter about 2 inches apart, they will bulk up a little.

Bake them for about 10 – 12 minutes (mine went for 12).

Let them cool and get working on the filling.

Mix the Fluff and shortening until smooth and fluffy.

Add the sugar and the vanilla and slowly beat until incorporated. Then set it on medium and beat it until super fluffy. I usually set the timer for about 3 minutes. By then it’s nice and airy.

Makes 30 four-inch cookies
Ingredients

For the Cakes:

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (fresh if you have it)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 Tablespoons vegetable shortening (ie: Crisco)
3/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the Filling:

1 1/2 cups Marshmallow Fluff
1 1/4 cups vegetable shortening
1 – 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation Instructions

For the Cakes:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. If you’re not using parchment paper you’re missing out. Literally. When everyone is enjoying the fruits of your labor, you’re busy washing baking pans. Parchment paper is king. Nothing sticks to it. Buy it and use it. I reuse the same sheet instead of getting a new one for each batch that comes out of the oven, so I save a little money.

Anyway….

Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, cloves and nutmeg in a large bowl.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening and brown sugar on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the egg, beating well, then the molasses.

Add half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk to the batter and beat on low, until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk and beat until completely combined.

Using a spoon or 2-Tablespoon scoop, drop about 2 Tablespoons of batter onto one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bakes one sheet at a time for about 10 to 12 minutes each, or until the pies spring back when pressed gently. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cook on the sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

For the Filling:

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the Fluff and vegetable shortening, starting on low and increasing to medium speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Reduce mixer speed to low, add the confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla, and beat until incorporated.

Increase mixer to to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes more.

Buy it! Then get baking! :)

Classic New York: Black and White Cookies

I love love love black and white cookies. They remind me of my childhood. I don’t see them very often here in California, so when I came across a couple of recipes, I thought it’d be fun to try to make my own. I’m really pleased with how they came out.

Makes about 20 cookies
Adapted from King Arthur Flour and Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Icing:

Vanilla

3 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup 
3-5 tablespoons hot water

Chocolate

2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 cup hot water
1/4 teaspoon espresso powder or cocoa powder, optional (for a darker black, I didn’t, but will next time, the darker the better I think)
3/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (chips, or chunks), melted

Preparation Instructions

For the Cake:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter. Mix until fluffy. Add eggs, milk and vanilla and lemon extracts, and mix until smooth.

In medium bowl, combine cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Stir until combined.

Add dry mixture to the wet in batches, stirring well after each addition. Using a soup spoon, place heaping spoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake until edges begin to brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool completely.

For the Icing:

I found that a fork worked much better than a whisk. I would highly recommend a plain old fork.

To make the vanilla icing: Mix the confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, and hot water until smooth.

Spread the icing over half of each cookie. Place them on a rack to set while you make the chocolate icing.

To make the chocolate icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, hot water, and espresso/cocoa powder. stirring until smooth.

In the microwave, melt the chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring after each session.

Add the melted chocolate into the sugar mixture, stirring until well combined.

Spread the icing on the uncovered half of each cookie.

Set the cookies back on the rack, and allow them to rest for about 20-30 minutes, until the icing is set.

For best storage, wrap each cookie individually, in plastic wrap, and store at room temperature.

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

(This is where it all began…)

Generally speaking if the masses love it, my husband and I probably will not. It happens all the time with movies. If it wins every award for everything possible, I’ll probably fall asleep. I don’t know if it’s a desire to specifically not like it, or my own feeling that the general public has given up and completely succumb to just loving everything. And yes, I GET the movie, I just don’t like it.

I’m a pretty picky person when it comes to food (and movies). I blame that on Top Chef. I’m trained to pick out every element that’s wrong in a meal. When my husband mentioned the mania surrounding Five Guys, I hesitantly said, “OK, let’s try it.” So we did.

Being that we live in California, we have access to In-N-Out, a very popular burger chain. The comparison among our friends became, “Which is better? In-N-Out or Five Guys?” I love a good compare and contrast, especially when food is involved. When we go to In-N-Out, which to be totally honest isn’t that often (it’s good, but it’s not wait on line no matter what time of day it is for at least 15 minutes good), my hubs will get the double double (that’s double patty, double cheese) with ketchup only. For me, the more I can pile on the better. I go for the regular single patty with cheese, spread (basically thousand island), tomato, lettuce and I’ll add the grilled onions off the secret menu. Here’s their “secret menu” if you care to see all the “secret” options. We knew to be fair we had to order the same at Five Guys as we do at In-N-Out.

We get to Five Guys and see a line out the door, take a peek inside and notice every table is packed. I instantly felt like turning around and not being suckered in to this craziness! We knew we came for a reason, can’t turn back now! We hopped on to the line and waited until it was our turn. To be fair, we were not on line very long at all. A perk, one that In-N-Out does not have, is that there are boxes of peanuts you can munch on while you wait. Now this can be taken as a good thing and as a bad thing. On one hand, yay! peanuts! I love a little snacky while I wait. On the other hand, why do they feel we need a snack while we’re on line? Do they know it’s gonna be that long so give the hungry people something to keep them happy? I’m not going to lie, the peanuts were fun, and I made my husband open them for me, so I made out pretty well.

We get to the counter and make our selections. The menu isn’t too crazy. We both order the cheeseburger. He gets it with ketchup only, I get mine with pretty much everything but the kitchen sink. I go for the mayo, relish, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms and ketchup. Oink.

The cheery teenager behind the counter asks if we want our fries cajun style or regular. We figure regular is a good base for comparison. We order a regular size drink to share and we’re on our way. The meal comes to about $17. We find a table, fill up our peanut bin and munch away until our number is called.

This is what takes the longest time. Now I see where the peanuts come in to play. We were waiting for kind of a while for “fast food.” I’d say about 10-15 minutes. Keep in mind all they do are burgers. Ok, you can get a hot dog, but who does that where burger is in the name of the restaurant? They should be poppin’ these puppies out. Our number is finally called. I’m already pissy, but fine, let’s try this remarkable burger.

Much to my surprise the regular size burger comes with two patties. Score! Mine looked a little overcooked and like the cheese may not be melted. Things are not looking up for me:

Let’s take a look at his:

Boringsville. But hey, that’s how he ordered it. Ketchup only. Snoozefest….
Anyway. Our fries are piled high, looking pretty tasty, and our burgers are ready to be eaten.

Yeah, not great. As I suspected, the cheese isn’t melted and the burger is overcooked. The fries are better than In-N-Out, but again, I don’t love In-N-Out fries the way others seem to. The grilled onions were tasty, but not as good as In-N-Out and the grilled mushrooms were, dare I say it, nasty. Very rubbery texture which is not great when it comes to mushrooms.


The biggest issue we both agreed upon was that the burger fell apart. Ok, mine fell apart because there was so much stuff on it, but his did too, and that just doesn’t make sense. Why are the burgers crumbly? Oh, because they’re overcooked? Maybe…just sayin’.

Yes, we ate the whole thing, we did pay for it and all. Are you seeing the piece of cheese hanging out wondering why he wasn’t cool enough to get some face time with the grill? What’s up with that?

Ok, so the moral of this story (and many others) is, when everyone and their mothers love it, it probably isn’t all that.